We recently connected with Kim Tank and have shared our conversation below.
Kim, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I find that personal photography projects and creative projects outside of photography help me the most in keeping creativity alive. I have done several 100 day projects where I choose a theme that’s either a skill I want to hone and improve or a way to stretch my creativity. Not every image comes out great, but pushing through the 100 days, even when I don’t feel those creative juices flowing, helps me learn to work through those times and I always have a good amount of great images from those projects. I’ve even had several images from those projects go on to win awards in professional image competitions. And then there are times when I give myself creative time outside of photography that in some way will help me be more creative in my photography too. I love to paint, create with clay, sew, and craft. Allowing myself to do these things just for the fun of it, feeds my creative soul and allows me to be more creative in my photography work.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
After being an elementary school teacher for several years, I decided to stay home when my son was born. It was during this time that I was able to pursue my love of photography and still continue working with children. When my son was a baby and toddler, my husband was deployed more often than not. As I documented my son and learned how to take better photographs, I often thought to myself, I wish someone was here to capture this moment with me in it. So, I hired professional photographers to help me capture this chapter in my life, in my son’s life, with me in the frame. I knew I wanted to help other families document their memories too.
I believe in capturing my subjects in a way that truly shows the essence of who they are. I believe in capturing relationships; both the happy and fun moments as well as the quiet ones shared with loved ones that show our deep connections; freezing those moments and memories so we can look back on them and be transported back to that chapter of our lives.
I believe in preserving each family’s legacy with beautiful portraits that will be viewed and passed down by many generations to come. I believe a family’s photographs can be displayed as a piece of art with museum quality products. It’s not just about the digital images, I want to help create a beautiful work of art my client’s are happy to display in their homes.
I love the beach and the water and find that I am my most creative in those settings. Beach sessions are my favorite, followed closely by underwater sessions (in pools). I’ve been expanding my underwater work over the last two years and I love being able to offer a unique session experience that results in gorgeous artwork or my clients.
I also teach camera classes and offer private mentoring. I love to teach and help others capture everyday moments of their families, things they find beautiful, or even help them better capture images for their businesses.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three things that come to mind that have been incredibly impactful on my journey are determination, connecting with others, and adaptability.
My determination has been an essential part of my journey. When I set my mind on something that important to me, I will push through obstacles that come my way to achieve it. Goal setting is important to me, but I also reevaluate and change goals if I feel like it needs to change. This quality has always been with me throughout my life and feel like part of my personality but I do think you can work to strengthen your determination through goal setting and having an accountability partner to help keep you on track. Start with something small and work your way up to those big audacious goals.
The ability to connect with others is one of the most important skills we can have, especially as a business owner. Connecting with others and finding community is a basic need of being human. My husband served 20 years in the military and we lived far from family, so this became essential to me in my personal life. When I started my business, my personal network was there to cheer me on and many were my early clients. Connecting with my clients is vital to being able to authentically capture them and their personalities in my photographs. I always have at least a phone call to get to know my clients a little before their photo session and then I take some time in the beginning to talk with the rest of the family so they feel more comfortable around me and are more likely to open up and be themselves. Early on in my business, I also joined a professional group for photographers, NAPCP, and connecting with other professionals in my industry helped me grow so much in my business and my photography skills. One of my best friends, who is also my accountability partner, is someone I met through this organization. After a recent move to a new state, I had to start over in finding community and making connections both personally and professionally. I’ve had to put myself out there and get engaged in my new community to find new friends. The personal connections and connections with local businesses that I’ve made are a big part in the success I’ve had in rebuilding my business in our new location. Some advice for someone looking to get better at connecting with others: make it about others and not about you, listen more than you talk, get curious about people, and find ways you can support and lift up others and then do it.
Adaptability is another essential skill in my life and business. All of my years as a military spouse taught me a lot about adapting to new situations. With our ever changing world, businesses need to be able to adapt as well or many become irrelevant (remember Radio Shack?) While many of us may have had plenty opportunities in life to practice adaptability, you can grow this skill by changing your mindset and accepting that change is a part of life. If you like to read, check out the book Switch by Dan & Chip Heath.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed, I often start with a good cry, though it does depend on the situation. We need to allow ourselves to feel our feelings and let them move through us. The problem becomes if we get stuck there. My next step is break things down into more manageable chunks and come up with a plan. If my overwhelm is coming from having a lot on my plate, a good brain dump and getting it all out of my head is an important part of my process. I also love lists so if I can organize any of it into lists, I’ll do that next. Once things are out of my head and organized into a rough plan or list, that relieves a huge amount of stress. And then, maybe most importantly, ask for help or hire it out. One of the biggest things I’ve had to work on in my life is asking for and accepting help, especially when my son was little and my husband was deployed often. To avoid overwhelm, we need to ask for help early and often. The truth is that we cannot do it all and we weren’t meant to do it alone. Find support and if you are able, hire out tasks that don’t need to be done by you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kimberlytank.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kimberlytank
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimberlytankartphotography
Image Credits
Kimberly Tank Art & Photography
